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RUSSIA INDIA REPORT
05
http://eng.comcon-2.com Market and media research centre
wciom.com Public opinion research centre VCIOM
IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA, RUSSIA
eng.adib92.ru Association of Gaming Industry Professionals THE ECONOMIC TIMES WEDNESDAY_JULY 08_2009 Society
Shopping Consumerism has taken a major hit due to the ongoing crisis as the spending power of the Russians continues to decrease
Consumers, not on
a shopping spree
Many Russians say they are “bad” or “not very good”
holding on to their savings (74pc and 81pc respectively).
Concerned about the crisis?
despite the Russian More than half of those sur-
authorities’ assurances that veyed (54pc) say that, in one
the crisis will soon come to an way or another, their family
end. According to a Nielsen income had decreased.
report, more than three This data is partly confi rmed
quarters of Russians, 78 pc, by the official statistics. Ac-
are willing to postpone their cording to the Ministry of
purchases until a better time Health and Social Develop-
in the future. ment, the number of those
registered as unemployed,
SERGEY KULIKOV
after a slight fall, began ris-
NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA ing (although not signifi cant-
ly). The Ministry reports that
Experts say that in the near for “the time period between
future, the situation may only June 11 and 17, the number of
worsen, although only con- unemployed Russian citizens
crete measurements can grew by 0.1pc, or by 2,034
show the real picture. people, and by June 17 the
Researchers say that accord- total number of the unem- BORIS KAVASHKIN_ITAR-TASS
ing to their indicators, nega- ployed included 2,194,542 Russians are very wary about the rising prices and the potential effect it could have on their shopping decisions. Hence, they are economis-
tive trends are continuing in people". From the end of
SOURCE: WWW.WCIOM.RU
ing their shopping list through robust budgets
people’s “willingness to April, the country had expe-
spend”. This past May, 78 pc of rienced a fall in the numbers
consumers said that next of registered unemployed.
year would not be a good time From June 4 to June 10, the
to make desired purchases. number fell by 0.5pc.
This is a troubling fact, con- Experts interviewed by the
Russia Inc. employees speak up
sidering that just this past Nezavisimaya Gazeta news-
February, the percentage of paper believe that overall, the
such sceptics was 67pc, and crisis has not had any social We asked three common tives of Moscow, and have to comes too stressful. That if we’ll get anything. We’ve gone bankrupt. Our situation been hit hard. Nobody in our
in March 73 pc. impact on Russians. Never- Russians from different deal with paying for both, said, a few of my colleagues been applying for a new loan, is – by far – not the worst. For- department has been laid
“Russians have prepared theless, according to the dep- sectors – state, private and family and astronomical wanted to quit back in De- but no bank wants to give tunately, we were able to re- off, but everyone is worried
themselves for a long-term uty director of the Institute of financial – about how the rental prices. cember and decided against money to a small business orient our business early on. about that happening. My
saving mode,” said the man- World Economics and Inter- crisis has affected their After apartments got cheap- it because they were not able these days. The volume of Others weren’t so lucky. job is not everything for me,
aging director of Nielsen national Affairs (IMEMO), personal and professional er during the crisis, I moved to fi nd any other work. work we do has dropped cat- however, so I don’t mull it
Russia, Dwight Watson. Evgeny Gonmaher, in the near lives, and discovered that to a small city outside Mos- astrophically. We’ve gone over every single day.
Despite the obvious negative future, Russians will need to there were vast differences in cow. I got a much better fl at from having around 50 em- I have a friend in a Baltic
feelings, researchers have “tighten their belts". their reactions and concerns for less money, but my drive ployees to 15. No new stores country – where the situa-
noted some progress in the From a statistical point of for the future. to work is now 40 minutes. and offices are being built, tion is signifi cantly worse –
outlook of Russian citizens. view, which only reflects a There’s a new federal pro- and nobody is expanding who is suffering quite a bit. I
Specifi cally, the level of con- general mood, the situation gramme for providing sub- their premises. Most SMEs feel very sorry for him.
sumer confi dence in Russia doesn’t look so bad. sidised housing to employ- surive off of small orders, and I didn't bear any pay cuts
stabilised for the first time “In the near future, ‘readiness ees, but I doubt I’ll be affect- this has become a critical and have not changed my
since the crisis began eight to spend’ will stabilise by ed. component of our business. habits. As for my outlook of
months ago. According to the 80-82 pc,” said Mr. Gonma- For the last several years, I’ve There are also tenders to re- the future, I guess some of
study, consumer confi dence her. “For the remaining part been working on a project pair state property. This is a the projects I was working
fell from 104 index points in of the population, such as that offers financial incen- new fi eld for us, and the com- FROM PERSONAL ARCHIVES on are now less significant
September 2008 to 82 points top-managers of large and tives to medium-sized Rus- FROM PERSONAL ARCHIVES petition is fi erce. Some com- and being carried out on a
in February 2009, and then to medium-sized corporations, sian cities for improving panies are willing to work YEKATERINA SERGEEVA, BANKER: It smaller scale. But, again, to
75 points. After the fall, be- attorneys, etc., the crisis has housing and management. I MAKSIM IVASYUK, CONSTRUCTION: without any gains. depends a lot on a person’s me, this isn’t the most im-
tween March and May of the no meaning.” FROM PERSONAL ARCHIVES can say with certainty that I own a small construction All my plans for a holiday values: if your job means portant thing in my life, so
current year, the index in- But most unknown is what there has been an explosion company. In October, the and buying a new apartment everything to you, you may the situation isn’t critical.
creased again by seven points, exactly Russians are talking ANTON SUYR, CIVIL SERVANT: No- in interest from municipali- bank where we stored our have been put off indefi nitely. suffer. If you have other, more It’s good if a crisis allows
returning to its February about when they say they are body in our ministry was ties. Since the onset of the money went bankrupt. Pri- I never worried about spend- important things to worry someone to think of things
level. unwilling to spend their laid off as a result of the cri- crisis, our target cities have vate depositors (i.e. ordinary ing on food before: now I do. about, you can survive. It’s besides work. Work should
The researchers did note, money. If it is buying a car or sis. However, a lot of my pay been viciously competing for citizens) are the fi rst in line to I can't say our situation has also important to keep in not be the most important
however, that the majority of an expensive household item, comes from special bonuses the money we can offer receive compensation, fol- improved in any way, but we mind that the crisis is cycli- component in one’s life. Use
Russian consumers are still that is one thing, but if they we get four times a year. them. lowed by state organisations. have become used to surviv- cal, and that better times this time to get married, have
assessing their prospective are talking about a growing These bonuses have been cut I wouldn’t say that I take my We're in last place and still ing in these conditions. I will return. kids and just enjoy life.
-
job opportunities and the inability to buy groceries, significantly. Most of the work more seriously than waiting for the bank’s prop- guess we'll try to live off state Not a single person working
state of their personal fi nanc- that is something else, entire- people in the ministry – in- before the crisis, and I’m erty to be sold off to receive tenders until better times. in the fi nancial sector is safe Prepared by
es for the upcoming year as ly different.
-
cluding myself – are not na- willing to leave if the job be- compensation. I don’t know Many of my colleagues have from layoffs. Banking has Artem Zagorodnov
Gambling Russian casinos haven't moved to specific assigned zones yet Space Co-operation in this domain will grow
No more Russian roulette:
Madhavan Nair: Space ties
casinos are asked to move out
will help us gain an edge
Russia and India have exploration, global naviga- (LTT). The target location for
Russia’s casinos are getting achieved milestones in tion system, human space the Lander-rover will be iden-
the boot, but the specially A $40 bn industry several spheres. And with the fl ight, spacecraft building for tifi ed using data from Chan-
designated zones where they latest accomplishments in the atmospheric studies, etc. drayaan-1 instruments. ISRO
are to move are not ready. 80pc of all legal gambling es- space domain and many more is responsible for developing
Casino owners say they are tablishments are in Moscow in the pipeline, they are Can you disclose details of the the Orbiter while Russia is re-
ready to leave the country, and St.Petersburg. The annual destined to reach greater proposed manned space mis- sponsible for developing the
while millions of Russians turnover of just those casinos heights. Madhavan Nair, sions in 2013 and 2015? Lander and Rover. Additional
lament the savings they lost in exceeds $6 bn. Experts esti- chairman, ISRO, discusses ISRO has prepared a Project scientifi c payloads will be ac-
cheap casinos and slot mate that nationally, the real plans of this co-operation. Report for deploying a space quired from international sci-
machines. Will the new law market is around $40 bn. At capsule for carrying two hu- entific community through
help? the same time, taxes on gam- How do you assess cooperation mans to low earth orbit of announcement of opportuni-
bling are among the lowest of India and Russia in space? about 275 km for a duration ty. The mission is targeted for
SERGEY TOPOL
in the world: casinos pay be- ISRO has had a successful co- of about a week which is being 2011-12.
RIR tween 25,000 and 125,000 operation with the erstwhile processed for approval. Once
roubles per gaming table and USSR in Space with the ac- approved, formal approval When the launch of YouthSat
In the days of the USSR, the 1,500-7,500 roubles per slot tive participation of USSR in from the Government is satellite will take place? Can
authorities strictly forbade machine annually. PATRICK PLEUL_ITAR-TASS setting up the Thumba Equa- awaited. The first mission is we expect YouthSat-2 any time
any games of chance: even Moving out: Russian casinos may go absconding torial Rocket Launching Sta- likely during 2015. soon?
the word “chance” was ex- tion (TERLS) in early Sixties, To encourage the participa-
cluded from the Soviet dic- Joint meteorological studies When the approval of the tion of students community in
tionary. The first gambling would lose my money, then activity related to organising According to State Duma as restaurants. Others are be- using more than 1000 mete- manned space mission is ex- spacecraft building and data
establishments appeared other people’s money; I bor- and running games of chance. deputy Aleksey Pakhotnikov, coming poker clubs or inter- orological sounding rockets pected? Chandrayan I has been utilisation, a satellite project
after the collapse of the So- rowed money from banks Casino owners were required the gambling zones are not net cafes where people can launched from Thumba sup- India's great success. How does involving students from Indi-
viet system. The casinos be- and lost that too. It got to the to move their establishments ready for work because of play in virtual casinos. A plied from USSR and launch- it do on the orbit - any signs of an and Russian Universities
came a kind of symbol of a point where I’d gambled by July 1, 2009, into four spe- “sabotage” by regional au- spokesperson for the Moscow ing for India’s Aryabhata, water or Helium-3 so far? What has been conceived under the
new era, when money could away all the furniture from cially designated gambling thorities and investors. mayor’s office said that ap- Bhaskara-I and 2 and for IRS- main achievements it has made Mini Satellite Programme of
be conjured out of the air and my flat. One day, I was so zones: “Azov City” in the As one of the owners of a proximately 75pc of gam- 1A, 1B and IRS-1C in addi- so far? ISRO. Accordingly a satellite
just as easily lost at the rou- ‘drunk’ on gambling, I car- south, “Siberian cash” in the chain of gambling clubs in bling establishments are tion to the Tracking support Chandrayaan has successful- named as Youthsat with 2 sci-
lette wheel. ried the fridge out of the fl at, Altay region,“ Amber” in Ka- Moscow said, none of his planning to redefine them- for several Indian satellites. ly completed 9 months of sat- entific payloads from ISRO
The number of gambling es- sold it to the fi rst taxi driver liningrad oblast, and the Moscow colleagues were in a selves. The most signifi cant and suc- isfactory operation in orbit and one from Moscow State
tablishments in the country who came along, and within “Maritime” zone in the Far hurry to start building and Some of the companies may cessful co-operation with and has sent vast amount of University are planned to be
grew steadily, from about 800 15 minutes, I’d put all the East. moving his one-armed ban- leave the market altogether. Russia is the development data on unique features of fl own to study the phenome-
in the mid-1990s to more money into a slot machine. The gambling industry re- dits into the specially desig- Michael Boettcher, owner of and supply of the cryogenic lunar surface. Presently, the non of solar flare and iono-
than 60,000 by the beginning My friends and family sisted the moves. No one re- nated zones. “Who wants to the Storm International engines for the Geo-station- data is being analysed by sci- spherical studies. YOUTH-
of the new century. At the couldn’t understand why I ally believed this law would go a thousand miles into the group, has repeatedly stated ary Satellite Launch Vehicle entifi c community from India SAT is planned to be launched
same time, respectable casi- couldn’t stop gambling.” come into force – the stakes wild and start from scratch his intentions. “If the law (GSLV) on a commercial and abroad. As of now, we along with Resourcesat-2 in
nos with luxurious rooms According to Russia’s Minis- were too high. It’s one thing in a place where there’s no in- doesn’t change, we’ll leave basis. A historical milestone have not found any signs of the third quarter of 2009.
and high stakes were in mi- try of Health, in Moscow to make money out of noth- frastructure… in the middle Russia,” the British business- in Indo-Russian Space Co- water or Helium-3.
nority. For the most part, it alone, approximately 300,000 ing on slot machines in Mos- of a fi eld?” he asked.“I can tell man said. According to some operation was achieved in Has the slowdown cast any ef-
was about gaming machines, people suffer from gambling cow, it’s quite another to in- you, this is absolutely useless reports, Oleg Boyko, co-own- 2001 when Indian Geo-syn- How is work progressing on fect on Indian space program?
which started appearing in addiction. Gamblers Anony- vest your own resources into for business owners.” er of the joint holding com- chronous Satellite Launch Ve- Chandrayan II? Indian space programme is
just about every baker’s shop. mous puts the overall number developing gambling zones. However, it looks as though pany Ritzio Entertainment hicle successfully demon- We have an operational agree- oriented towards R&D in
Any pensioner or schoolchild of gambling addicts in Rus- That the status quo would be the gambling establishment Group – Eastern Europe’s strated its capability in its ment for a joint unmanned space science and technology.
could easily try their luck. sia at about three million. maintained seemed all the owners have found a way out largest gaming company – is fi rst development fl ight using lunar landing mission and the These are also must for devel-
No one even suspected the There was a growing realisa- more likely since, for the last without moving to the gam- also ready to move his busi- the Russian developed Cryo- defi nition of the mission has opment of society and gov-
existence of “gambling ad- tion that somehow this dis- three years, virtually nothing bling zones. Casinos in the ness abroad. genic Stage (CS) as its third been completed. The Chan- ernment fully supports such
diction”. According to ease had to be fought. At fi rst, had been done in the future area of Novyy Arbat (a Mos- Meanwhile, representatives stage. India cooperates with drayaan–2 mission will have activities.
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Vladimir, founder of the Mos- slot machines were driven gambling zones. To date, only cow street renowned in re- of the gambling business in Russia in many fields of ex- an orbital fl ight vehicle con- Prepared by
cow Gamblers Anonymous out of shops, subways and the authorities in Krasnodar cent years as the Russian Las the FSU countries and East- ploration and peaceful uses of stituting an Orbiter Craft (OC) RIA Novosti
society, neither he nor those medical centres. region and Rostov oblast Vegas on account of its many ern Europe are already fear- outer space. It has many cur- and Lunar Craft (LC) that will
close to him could imagine Three years ago, a law was have auctioned leases on of gambling establishments) ing expansion by their Rus- rently operational agree- carry a soft landing system up Read the full interview on
that he was seriously ill. “I passed on state regulation of plots of land. are rapidly being reclassifi ed sian colleagues.
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ments in the fields of moon to Lunar Transfer Trajectory www.rbth.ru
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